This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/978,089 filed on Apr. 10, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
After a bath towel is used, it is typically hung on a towel rack or holder to dry and be available for further use until it is to be laundered. Prior art towel racks and holders come in a number of configurations, including hooks, rings, pegs, and bars. All prior art towel racks and holders share a common disadvantage, namely that the towel is generally folded over, approximately in half, such that the two sides of the wet towel are either touching or in very close proximity. Towels may be folded over a rack so that that the towel extends its full width on the towel rack. In other instances, the towel may be bunched up through a ring or even folded in fourths to hang over the available space on a bar. Regardless of the hanging technique, the towel does not have sufficient separation from its two sides to permit full drying of the towel between uses.
Depending on the environment, the towel may not be fully dry by the next time it is to be used (often after approximately 24 hours). Even if the towel has dried between uses, it is often musty smelling and discourages repeated uses. In that situation, a person may change towels every day, wasting water and negatively affecting the environment.
The problem becomes worse with hand towels and dish towels that are used more often than every 24 hours, in some cases multiple times per day. Prior art towel holders where hand towels are used, such as the kitchen, often consist of a drawer handle where the towel stays damp and musty after its first use.
In some prior art embodiments, heated towel racks are provided that aid in drying the towel between uses. A disadvantage of heated towel racks is the expense and energy wasted during use.